Most expensive players by each IPL team in auction history

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the best and most lucrative T20 tournament in the world. The IPL has made several players overnight millionaires since its inception. Players with unique skill sets or good brand value often earn huge sums of money from the franchises. The IPL 2024 auction is just around the corner, so let's take a look at the most expensive player by each IPL team in auction history. 

Most expensive players by each team in the IPL

Lockie Ferguson – Gujarat Titans (INR 10 cr)

Ahead of the IPL 2022, Gujarat Titans were one of the two newly introduced teams in the tournament. Titans had acquired the services of Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill ahead of the auction. Titans didn't go after players in the auction too aggressively.

Their most expensive player in the auction was Lockie Ferguson, whom they bought for INR 10 crore. There was a scarcity of quality fast bowlers in the market and Ferguson was one of the highly rated. Gujarat Titans had bidding battles with Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants to eventually secure Ferguson. 

Harry Brook – Sunrisers Hyderabad (INR 13.25 cr) 

Sunrisers Hyderabad had released some of their highest paid players such as Mayank Agarwal and Nicholas Pooran ahead of the IPL 2023 auction. England's young batter Harry Brook had a massive hype around him ahead of the auction and the teams had him marked. Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore engaged in a bidding war till 5 crore before Hyderabad jumped in. After an intense battle with RR, they finally secured Brook for INR 13.25 crore. 

Kyle Jamieson – Royal Challengers Bangalore (INR 15 cr) 

Royal Challengers Bangalore is a franchise that generally has one expensive player in almost every IPL auction. In the 2014 auction, they bought Yuvraj Singh for INR 14 crore while in 2021, they splurged INR 14.25 cr for Glenn Maxwell. 

RCB’s most expensive player was Kyle Jamieson, whom they acquired in the IPL 2021 auction for INR 15 crore. Bangalore, who started from the base price, went all-in on Jamieson and fought off Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings. 

Pat Cummins – Kolkata Knight Riders (INR 15.50 cr)

Kolkata Knight Riders bought the Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins for INR 15.5 crore in the IPL 2020 auction, making him the most expensive player in their history. This was a mini auction and it meant the players offering dual value were in high demand.

RCB and DC engaged in a fierce bidding war, which went on till INR 14.75 crore when Delhi gave up. KKR then swooped in and bagged Cummins for their record signing.

Yuvraj Singh – Delhi Capitals (INR 16 cr)

In the IPL 2014 auction, Yuvraj Singh became the most expensive player in RCB's auction history. The following year, he became the costliest player in Delhi Capitals’ history when they acquired his services for INR 16 crore. 

Yuvraj, who was picked by RCB in 2014 for INR 14 crore, scored 376 runs in that season at an average of 34 and a strike rate of 135. Despite that, RCB released him and were then the losing bid in the IPL 2015 auction as Yuvraj set a new record. 

Nicholas Pooran – Lucknow Super Giants (INR 16 cr)

Lucknow Super Giants broke their bank in the IPL 2023 auction to buy Nicholas Pooran for INR 16 crore. He remains the most expensive player at the auction for the franchise which was introduced only two years back.

Pooran was a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad in the 2022 season. SRH had spent INR 10.75 crore for him in the mega auction but released him ahead of the 2023 auction. Pooran had scored 306 runs in the 2022 edition at an average of 38 while striking at 144 and was in great form heading into the auction.

Chris Morris – Rajasthan Royals (INR 16.25 cr)

Chris Morris, the former South Africa all-rounder had his struggles against injuries but when fit, he was one of the best assets in T20 cricket. At the IPL 2021 mini-auction, Morris became the costliest player in auction history when Rajasthan Royals bought him for INR 16.25 cr. 

Bangalore, who had bought Morris for INR 10 cr in the previous auction, released him to get him at a cheaper price. But the move backfired massively. RCB went against Mumbai Indians till 9.75 crore before giving up. Rajasthan Royals then jumped in and fought off MI and Punjab Kings. 

Ben Stokes – Chennai Super Kings (INR 16.25 cr)

Chennai Super Kings are a franchise that is not known for spilling too much cash on one player in the auctions. But they did it for the England superstar Ben Stokes. CSK spent INR 16.25 cr in the IPL 2023 auction to acquire Stokes’ services. 

Stokes had not been a proven star in the shorter format but was in demand due to his name and the impact he had in the 2022 T20 World Cup final. Before Stokes, CSK’s most expensive player at the auctions was Deepak Chahar, whom they had picked for INR 14 crore in the 2022 auction.

Cameron Green – Mumbai Indians (INR 17.50 cr)

Mumbai Indians have always gone after overseas pace all-rounders and in the 2023 auction, they spent INR 17.50 crore to bag Cameron Green. He became the second most expensive player in the history of IPL and the most expensive for Mumbai Indians. 

Green had hammered two fifties against India ahead of the auction and it played a part in his price getting skyrocketed. Green delivered a terrific season for MI in IPL 2023, scoring 452 runs at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 160, including a century.

Sam Curran – Punjab Kings (INR 18.50 cr)

Punjab Kings had suffered too many heartbreaks where they ended up on the losing side of the player bids. But they weren't gonna let go of Sam Curran, whom they bought in the IPL 2023 auction for a record price of INR 18.5 cr. This was the most expensive signing in the history of the league. 

Sam Curran came into this mini-auction as one of the biggest attractions after winning the Player of the Tournament in the 2022 T20 World Cup and the Player of the Match in the final. At the back end of the bidding, Punjab Kings had to battle off CSK, LSG and MI to earn Curran's services.